Pasta Dough Rolling Machine

[zippydedodah]

My wife has been making a lot of pizzas, raviolis and such lately. The hardest part is getting the dough rolled out to the correct thickness. I have seen online pasta makers for under 30 USD, but shipping costs are a bit high, as these things weigh a lot.

I have looked at Yok, Robinsons,etc.. and so far, no luck.

anyone come across one?

[butterisbetter]

I have seen them at Bakersmart. I don't recall the price but I think they sold for more than $30 US. Imported from Italy. If you don't know where it's located, here is a link. http://cmbakermart.com/storelocation.html

[Gonzo the Face]

I have seen them at Bakersmart. I don't recall the price but I think they sold for more than $30 US. Imported from Italy. If you don't know where it's located, here is a link. http://cmbakermart.com/storelocation.html

Double check the machine please....

There is a little silver/chrome one around, that I think is made in Bkk. somewhere. I strongly recommend NOT that one. The price varies YOK store has them for 3,000 baht and the little shop that was out in front of Makro had the identical one for 990 baht, and it included the hold down to the table clamp.... they are also around in many of the other shops of this ilk. I'v gone through two of them in the past 4 months.

They may be ok if you just want to use once a month for a small job. But I do not recommend them for any heavier than casual household use.

There seems to be a big jump in price if you want to get a heavy duty one but not yet a full factory commercial one which seem to start about 8,000 baht.... they had one of those also at Bakersmart. There are also a couple shops in the back of Muang Mai Mkt that have them.

Good Luck with your search. Let us know the outcome.

Gonzo

[newbie001]

They are expensive here. Closer to 3,000 baht if you buy authentic. Make sure that it is not a chinese knock off. The original ones have numbers where 0 is larger and 9 is smaller. The chinese ones are backwards.

Another thing is to follow directions on how to clean and maintain. Without proper maintenance they will rot out in a few months.

Bakermart does have them and so does YOK.

Bakermart is on the CM Lamphun road after the superhighway overpass but before the Miguels 89 plaza.

YOk on the superhighway before Carrefour is slightly bigger but also slighty more expensive.

to be honest if you count the time for setup and clean up it is by far a lot easier to roll by hand if you are making a smaller batch of less than 5 eggs.

I usually make 3 egg batches that is more than enough for a family meal.

To get the right thickness take two small wooden slats the thickness that you desire. I have about 4 stages where I roll to the thickness. Fold over 2 times and roll again doing it until I reach my desired thickness.

[zippydedodah]

thanks for the replies so far. I have looked at Yok and the shop in front of Makro and both did not have any i could put my hands on, to feel the machine. Will have to check bakersmart next week... Will probably be in USA in october, so can always bring one back with me, but don't fancy waiting that long if i can find a decent machine at a good price.

[angiud]

Seven Five (see here) have a good quality pasta machine for around 3000 baht. As somebody said already, avoid the cheap chinese, very low quality and life, and always clean the machine (no water!!),remove the pieces of dough left and sometimes lubricate. A good brand and strong quality is Imperia (see here).

[DavidOxon]

The ones in YOK are upstairs on the left as you enter...

david

[zippydedodah]

Seven Five (see here) have a good quality pasta machine for around 3000 baht. As somebody said already, avoid the cheap chinese, very low quality and life, and always clean the machine (no water!!),remove the pieces of dough left and sometimes lubricate. A good brand and strong quality is Imperia (see here).

why no water to clean the machine? aren't they stainless steel? If you dry them properly, shouldn't that be OK? My wife was just wondering, as we had many stainless steel appliances in USA and she washed and dried them all the time, with no signs of rust.

Thanks for the Seven FIve site, but i can't seem to get a price on anything. How do you know that is the price?

[newbie001]

You can clean them any way that you want. But you were warned by two different posters. If you want to have to buy a new one in 2-3 months, then by all means wash with soap and water.

yes they may be stainless but stainless still rusts if water is exposed to areas for long periods of time. There are many parts that get very little air flow and they will rust up. Dough tends to be caught in some hidden areas also and will rot.

Follow the instructions for cleaning on the box. If you do not be prepared to buy a new one.

But honestly they are not worth the investment if you are not making pasta on a regular basis. A good rolling pin and wooden slats are the best method for small batches. I can make a batch of pasta rolled out in about 10 minutes. It takes only about 3-4 with the machine but if you add in clean up and set up and maintenance you spend a lot more than 10 minutes. But gadgets are what people buy. I don't know how many kitchens I have been in with pasta machines that never get used. Bread makers are another huge waste for most people.

Old fashioned is still the best way to go for pasta making. Unless you are making large commercial batches.

FYI do not try to roll other things beside pasta dough in the press. Most other dough are too stiff and will wreck it quickly. I tried rolling out tortillas once thinking that it wasn't much stiffer but it wreaked havoc on the machine. I went back to doing it by hand and will never waste 3,000 baht on another one. If you buy one in the states for 25-35 dollars then it is a better investment but 100 dollars is a lot.

[angiud]

Newbie, but wise and skilled .

100% agree. The small pieces of dough left inside the machine soon become dry and thick as a stone and damage the gears of the simple machine.

[zippydedodah]

Made a trip to Bakersmart today... closed.. and looked like renovations under way, in the lot next door, so don't know if they were closed cuz of Songkran or cuz of renovations.

Went to Yok, and their 6" model looked rather cheap, actually, did not appear to have a table clamp and was 3900 baht... strike two.

Tried to find a HUGE rolling pin, after watching various Youtube videos on how to roll out dough by hand, and found a semi-acceptable one at Yok for... 1200 baht - strike 3!

may just hold off until we hit the USA towards year-end. The wife is still concerned cuz in all the videos she watches, where these LARGE italian women knock out that dough like there is no tomorrow.. well, they outweigh her by about 50 kilos at least. She feels physically challenged when it comes to just making the dough thin... hence, her raviolis turn out thick and she hates that. Pizza crust is ok. however.

thanks for all the tips.. better luck next time.

[Gonzo the Face]

...if she is going to try her hand at the pizza dough, make sure that you get one of the dual purposed, long handled, pizza spatulas that you insert/extract the pizza in/out the oven.....

the second purpose is it is perfect for scraping the pizza dough from the ceiling....

[newbie001]

Little known fact for rolling things out. The size or weight of the pin isn't as important as the weight and rigidity of the rolling surface. In other words, a cheap 150 baht rolling pin will roll out perfect crusts and thin pasta if you have a hard solid table. If you are using one that is thin formica over 2x4 slats it won't be sturdy enough. You might also want to invest 600-800 baht on a silicon pad. They are perfect for rolling on because you don't need to use excess flour to keep it from sticking which ruins most people's crusts and pastas. Also make sure that she stands straight and pushes with her shoulders and straight arms. If the table is too tall for her it will be harder. The table should be at most 1" above waist level to roll out things easier. Also flipping the dough over and dusting the surface helps spread it thinner.

A good crust or thing dough is actually very easy once you perfect your technique, but most people don't actually put in the time to learn properly.

As for Pizza crust. make sure that you let the dough rest overnight before using. Making the dough and using the same day doesn't offer as good results. Also don't push the dough down too hard, you want to keep the air in the crust.

I actually wouldn't waste my time with pizza here. The cheese is too expensive and not good enough quality. Even the best cheese that I have found doesn't melt as good as cheap stuff in the west. You also need a good stone or pizza oven which is cost prohibitive. To make a good pizza you will need to spend at least 250 baht and that is enough for 1 -2 people. A little expensive for homemade

[Konini]

When we lived in Australia, I bought a hand crank pasta machine. I used it ONCE. It was so much trouble and effort to get it out and set it up and clean it, I went back to the rolling pin after only one attempt. It really isn't worth the hassle. So my linguine isn't always exactly the same width. Still tastes the same. Save your money, it really isn't worth it unless you are making big amounts of pasta every day.